Product Details

• Actors: Kris Alexander, Lori Bowen, Lydia Cheng, Carla Dunlap, Bev Francis
• Directors: George Butler
• Writers: George Butler, Charles Gaines
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Central Park Media
• VHS Release Date: March 4, 1997
• Run Time: 107 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304397259
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,202 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the creator of PUMPING IRON - the film that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a household name - comes a film about blood, sweat, and beauty. PUMPING IRON II focuses on five, top female bodybuilders - Rachel McLish, Bev Francis, Lori Bowen, Carla Dunlap, and Lydia Cheng - each armed with an iron determination and the courage of a lioness, as they prepare for the Caesars Palace World Cup Championship.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historic and fun, June 5, 2003

By 

MarvelousMarla "MarvyM" (Way down in Dixie) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pumping Iron II: The Women (DVD)

This short documentary explores the world of competitive female bodybuilding during the early 1980's. This film is true to the era with heavy makeup, spandex, bad hair and a moonwalk included during a posing routine. The film ponders the the level of acceptable muscularity that a woman should posess and examines the judging of a competitor who at the time was bigger than any other woman who ever stood on the competitive stage -- Australian power lifter Bev Francis. By current standards, Bev would fit right in and might actually be on the small side as compared to other female professional bodybuilders, but by 1983's standards, she was considered a freak. Neither the judges nor the competitors could come to a consensus about the ideal. The first Ms. Olympia Rachel McLish was more along the lines of what the public expected of female bodybuilders -- sleek, with some definition and feminine. McLish and the others look more like today's fitness competitors. Carla Dunlap had considerable size, but was still smaller than Francis who she said "Has muscularity that most men would envy."

Female bodybuilding is still a fringe activity, and this film shows some of what the pioneers endured in the early days. And much like today, the officials and trainers are mostly male.

I enjoyed this movie for its camp value, but it's also a nice history lesson for female physique competitors.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good movie, poor transfer, September 18, 2003

By 

Garry K. Mason "garrym8734" (Bethesda, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pumping Iron II: The Women (DVD)

I saw this film when it first came out in the theaters. I remember I went in wanting Rachel McLish, respecting Carla Dunlap, and repulsed by Bev Francis. I came out of the theater wanting Carla Dunlap, respecting Bev Francis, and repulsed by Rachel McLish. I was about 21 at the time.

I am giving this film only three stars because, while "Pumping Iron II" is a well made film, it is a poorly made DVD. The film looks underexposed throughout and somewhat grainy in places. I realize the distributor is a small company but a little more effort could have been put into the transfer. If they could manage to get George Butler (the director) to do commentary then one would think they could manage to procure a better quality print (or even make a print from the negative) for DVD release. The photos in the still gallery that come in the Extras are digital crisp, even when viewed with the "zoom" feature on your remote. They should have put the same cleanup effort into the movie itself.

Speaking of extras, why is there no commentary from any of the principal participants/competitors themselves? This film was such a big break for all of them that I can't believe the producers couldn't get even one of them to offer their insights. A film like this needs some historical perspective, IMHO. Still, it's a good movie, worth buying if you're a fan of women's bodybuilding, or interested in women's studies.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Documentary of Wos. Professional Bodybuilding's top contest, April 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pumping Iron II - The Women [VHS] (VHS Tape)

In 1985, Women's Professional Bodybuilding was in it's infancy. Men's Bodybuilding had already been explored in the "Pumping Iron" documentary, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now, we are taken in the gym and backstage at the premiere Professional Bodybuilding event for Women. Controversey arises, when one entrant (Bev Francis) is more bulky and muscular than other more svelte (Rachel McLish) entrants. Just what constitutes a Women's Bodybuilding Champion? The woman that is most muscular, or the one that looks more like the average woman's ideal?